´óÏó´«Ã½

We were 'here' three years ago. Why should any agreement now have any more credibility? Is as does. Less words, more actions... (Sore head yourself, Nick?) Q

After the substantive failure to deliver on promises made following Live 8 and with a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2050 declared today, I think the last vestiges of credibility in the G8 have evaporated.

It is now just a back-slapping talking shop for the myriad of advisors and backroom boys who cloud around each Head of State like the flies around the starving in the news clips we see repeated year after year.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Africa needs trade not aid.

If they wanted to really help Africa they would reduce trade barriers and commit to reducing CAP subsidies.

"In truth, even when it ends, we will not know whether there will ever be delivery for Africa, a new world trade deal, or an agreement on climate change. That too, despite the best endeavours of the leaders here, remains hazy."

So all in all GB and all the other G8 leaders and the invited African and South American guests have completely wasted their time and a whole lump of cash to achieve diddly squat.

And that my freinds is why GB is a complete hypocrit to tell anyone at home they need to save £8 a week on their food bill.

Its the only money his tax and spend policy has left me If I want to waste it I damn well will.

And that is probably why this socialist government will plan to take the rest of my disposable income and nationalise the supermarkets and only give me food rations. Although that is probably too unpaletable even for them so plan be is to use terror laws to lock me up for 42 days and control my feeding that way, then let me out for a day then back in for another 42 day stint.

"The normally spectacular view is covered with cloud and a low haze. It's not a bad metaphor for the results that are emerging from this summit"

Shame there are no local wild bears!

I can't see a lot being decided let alone delivered.

- George Bush - end of presdency - lame duck

- Gordon Brown - lame duck

- Dimitry Medvedev - Not the decision maker (see Putin)

So if the French, Canadian and Italians are watering down proposals - then the G8 has just been one of the most expensive social events in history.

HYPOCRITS - Do they want us to take them seriously?

The end of the world is nigh - the majority of people will not conserve energy or reduce food waste until they see politicians leading by example. The increasing population and dwindling natural resources will ensure the extinction of the human race.

Well done (slow hand clap) to the arrogance of all the world leaders - that's why every prime minister puts on weight once they get into office.

Greed, selfish, greed - I can't wait until the human race dies out - it's done nothing but damage and destroy this century. It deserves everything it gets.

Goodbye to you all, I hope you enjoyed your selfishness and I sincerely hope there is an afterlife so I can stand and watch all the greedy and selfish crying at the gates as they're not let in.

Just like the start of WWII - the world does nothing - until it's all too late.

Africa indeed needs help. The first stage of that help would be to get rid of some african leaders. It won't happen though.

The haziness is a very good metaphor Nick. I believe it's called 'pathetic fallacy', is it not? I think that's a better term for the G8 summit!

I just want to see if I can get away with saying "piss up" on a ´óÏó´«Ã½ website.

"I don't begrudge them their piss-up"

Neither, Sir Bob, do I, but I do ask for some evidence that they have the ability to run one in a brewery. The French, Italian and Canadian watering down tendency does not bode well.

By the way, Nick, any blood on the carpet between Medvedev and Brown after yesterdays spectacularly badly timed revelations from M15? (see Mark Urban's blog).

When you're next out in the streets of where you live - look hard to see if you can see the mark of MUG on everyone's forehead.

This mark exists apparently, but strangely only politicians have 'the sight' to see it.

I know there must be one on my forehead, I can't see it, but it must be there, because I cannot think of any other reason why my government treats me like one.

Maybe the only way to make the government listen is to blow a few buildings up and commit some terrorist acts and this is where the Africans are going wrong.

I hear more about AlQuaeda on the news that I hear Africa. We have spent $Millions chasing the ellusive Bin Laden - without success - money which could have been spent saving lives.

One day I will get to meet a senior politician and I will have one question for him / her:
"How do you manage to live with yourself knowing that the decisions you made for your purely selfish reasons have committed millions of people to death and starvation".

We could have solved all the problems in Africa (which we caused to begin with) 10 times over, but instead the world spent the money on war mongering and killing more innocents.

I hope god floods this world again and takes us all. The despair I feel is enough to turn me to religion....

The cloud and low haze is the black cloud which hangs over GB. It follows him wherever he goes. The rest of it is hanging over the UK.

@13

Your last paragraph. Unfortunately or fortuntely depending on where you sit, God said he would never flood the earth again, and the rainbow is a sign of this covenant.

Thankfully God will judge everybody when the time comes and those found wanting will not enjoy it.

re: 13, 15 and anyone else

Please let's keep Rowan Williams' invisible friend out of politics, yeah?

It is worth mentioning that international aid is one area where the British Government are unquestionably the good guys, and setting a really good example, as Geldof mentioned on Today this morning.

Just a bunch of guys and Gals trying to deal with their God Complexes. It's good that they can get together on the world stage and feel like they are changing the world - shame it is only a psychological dysfunction and the reality is quite a lot uglier!

re: 16.

This invisible friend being the anonymous civil servant who recommended him to the closet Catholic Prime Minister who appointed him, yeah?

If you mean the other friend, don't worry, he's off sick. Suffering from delusions of grandeur - thinks he's George Bush.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

At 10:40am on 08 Jul 2008, TheresOnly1Soupey wrote:

...."Goodbye to you all, ..."

13. At 10:58am on 08 Jul 2008, TheresOnly1Soupey wrote:
"....

I thought you were going?!!

Andrew Carnegie in later life said that he had given up listening to what men said and instead watched what they did. Why is it that all politicians everywhere fail to understand that we the plebs do just that and that we find their unctuous pieties repellent? Leaders they most certainly are not.

Hello Nick

Having seen your evening report last night and read your daily blogs on the G8 summit, I find it difficult to conclude anything other than it's a wasteful load of rubbish.

The only thing Gordon Brown is going to have brought us back from this is some tips on eating food after its 'best before date'.

He mentions nothing about the amount of waste by companies, GOVERNMENTS (consultations, management consultants, rubbish computer systems, John Prescott's grocery bill - remember the bulimia, etc, etc).

Please, I know you're doing your job, but don't, enjoy the free trip, go and see the sights, run-up your expenses - there's nothing to report.

Please do come back soon, domestic politics is far more interesting.

Oh, by the way, is it my imagination, but are Berlusconi and Bush just a couple of louts all the time and not just in public?

Intersting to note that Sir Bob; while up front and centre and lecturing Brown on where to spend my tax bucks; has carefully registered himself as a Non Dom.

His assets are registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Also intersting to note

While you all waste 8 quid a week on food.

The DWP wastes 38 million a week on benefit errors

It has doubled to almost 2 billion a year.

You couldn?t make it up folks

@16

As the upper house is inhabited by a number who claim to know Rowan's friend (as you so quaintly put it) and the incumbant PM claims to come from Prudent Methodist stock, I dont think it is posible to seperate the two always.

I wonder did our dour methodist PM partake in the champers, It is strictly off limits if he is a true adherant to what he claims to be.

Nothing I like better than listening to good old Bob blowing it out of his backside. All we need now is Bono to take to the stage and shed a few tears and wham bam, the whole meeting will have been a success.

What is the difference between our Nu (Improved) Labour government and the G8 summit?

One is full of back slapping, money grabbing, non-entities and the other one is too!

Oh, sorry, that's not funny but neither is our government. aha ha ha ha ;-)

Nick

After last night's blowout, how many 'leaders' phoned in 'sick' this morning?

Have we got all this deity stuff out of the way? It was bad enough yesterday with the right-left slanging match. This is a secular problem.

As I said yesterday, the problem with this summit is that the leaders gathered are shackled by their domestic agendas. You can write off George Bush for now because what really matters is his successor's approach and we don't even know who that will be. At the risk of sounding callous, we really should not be focusing on Zimbabwe, Darfur or Mianmar at the moment. This is an economic summit. Certainly world leaders should take advantage of head to heads to discuss foreign policy but not to the extent of taking their eyes off the ball.

At the heart of this lies the self interest of regional power blocks and the culture of protectionism. The largest and most powerful of these remains the EU and it must resolve its internal difficulties so that it can address the wider global issues. The acceptability or otherwise of Lisbon may be central to how we run Europe but, for the rest of the planet, it's navel gazing. The fallout between trade commissioner Mandelson and Sarkozy is potentially more serious. The former is charged by the Council with opening up markets and tearing down barriers. This could have a real impact. Time methinks to see whether the four European leaders can match talking the talk with walking the walk.

In some ways, Canada and Russia have it easier. Vast countries with huge natural resources, all they really need to do is figure out a proportion of GDP that they will commit to the developing world. Greenhouse gas emissions is simply a question of committing resources to new technologies. Where Europe and the States lead, the rest will follow.

The real issue is China and India and you will not get them on board by lecturing them from the comfort of an exclusive club. If the leaders gathered in Japan decide that next time, it will be G10, then they will have made some real progress.

While you must save 8 quid a week on food.

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ has just awarded pay rises of up to £107,000 each for executive directors.

Soupy and pot-kettle:

Don't worry, Gordonbennet and his flatulent old sychophants'll get their comeuppance. And i can tell you this my friends, it'll not be God that'll do it, it'll be us at the next general election. And believe me, when they finally shut the security gates on Gordonbennet and his motly crew of spinsters, crooks, and flim flam merchants, it'll feel just like hell them. A political wilderness of daytime telly interviews with cub reporters. Imagine that, what a hell that will be. The hell that our former generalisimo in chief is now inhabiting.

Given that African nations have so clearly and unambiguously declared that the West should not interfere in African matters, one wonders why we are even discussing providing financial aid at all?

We have much more worthy things to spend the money on at home.

Africa has huge oil and mineral wealth, so perhaps it should consider using that wealth to help itself? But then, the various African dictators who benefit from that wealth would not be too likely to help their brothers and sisters in neighbouring African states, would they?

Also, I am tired of wealthy so called 'celebrities' lecturing me on why I should be taxed more to provide money for Africa. It should be a purely personal decision as to whether one donates money to Africa. I would simply choose not to. Using the taxation system to deny freedom of choice in such matters is wrong.

31 Carrot:

Yeah, there's no excuse for it is there. Same old story, we want the best must pay for the best, what rubbish. Generally I support the old Beeb, but this culture of excess is gonna win them few friends.

Seeing as we are on an ecclesiastical theme this morning:


While on his morning walk, Prime Minister Gordon Brown falls over, has a
heart attack and dies because the accident and emergency dept at his
nearest hospital is too understaffed to treat him in time.

So his soul arrives in Heaven and he is met by Saint Peter at the Pearly
Gates.

'Welcome to Heaven,' says Saint Peter, 'Before you settle in, it seems
there is a problem. We seldom see a Socialist around these parts, so
we're not sure what to do with you.'

'No problem, just let me in; I'm a good Christian; I'm a believer,'says
the PM.

'I'd like to just let you in, but I have orders from God Himself. He
says that since the implementation of his new HEAVEN CHOICES policy, you
have to spend one day in Hell and one day in Heaven. Then you must
choose where you'll live for eternity.'

'But I've already made up my mind. I want to be in Heaven,' replies
Brown.

'I'm sorry .. But we have our rules,' Peter interjects. And, with that,
St. Peter escorts him to an elevator and he goes down, down, down...all
the way to Hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a lush golf course.
The sun is shining in a cloudless sky. The temperature is a perfect 22C
degrees. In the distance is a beautiful club-house. Standing in front of
it is Harold Wilson and thousands of other Socialist luminaries who had
helped him out over the years --- John Smith, Michael Foot, Jim
Callaghan, etc. The whole of the Labour Party leaders were there
.Everyone laughing, happy, and casually but expensively dressed.

They run to greet him, to hug him and to reminisce about the good times
they had getting rich at the expense of 'suckers and peasants.'

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar.
The Devil himself comes up to Brown with a frosty drink, 'Have a tequila
and relax, Gord!'

'Uh, I can't drink anymore, I took a pledge,' says Brown, dejectedly.

'This is Hell, son. You can drink and eat all you want and not worry and
it just gets better from there!'

Brown takes the drink and finds himself liking the Devil, who he thinks
is a really very friendly bloke who tells funny jokes like himself and
pulls hilarious nasty pranks, kind of like the ones the Labour Party
pulled with the European Constitution and the Education, Immigration,
Tough on Crime promises.

They are having such a great time that, before he realises it, it's time
to go. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves as Brown steps on the
elevator and heads upward.

When the elevator door reopens, he is in Heaven again and Saint Peter is
waiting for him. 'Now it's time to visit Heaven,' the old man says,
opening the gate.

So for 24 hours Brown is made to hang out with a bunch of honest,
good-natured people who enjoy each other's company, talk about things
other than money and treat each other decently. Not a nasty prank or
short-arse joke among them. No fancy country clubs here and, while the
food tastes great, it's not caviar or lobster. And these people are all
poor. He doesn't see anybody he knows and he isn't even treated like
someone special!

'Whoa,' he says uncomfortably to himself. 'Harold Wilson never prepared
me for this!'

The day done, Saint Peter returns and says, 'Well, you've spent a day in
Hell and a day in Heaven. Now choose where you want to live for
Eternity.'

With the 'Deal or No Deal' theme playing softly in the background, Brown
reflects for a minute ... Then answers: 'Well, I would never have
thought I'd say this -- I mean, Heaven has been delightful and all --but
I really think I belong in Hell with my friends.'

So Saint Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down,down,
all the way to Hell.

The doors of the elevator open and he is in the middle of a barren
scorched earth covered with garbage and toxic industrial wasteland,
looking a bit like the eroded, rabbit and fox affected Australian
outback, but worse and more desolate.

He is horrified to see all of his friends, dressed in rags and chained
together, picking up the roadside rubbish and putting it into black
plastic bags. They are groaning and moaning in pain, faces and hands
black with grime.

The Devil comes over to Brown and puts an arm around his shoulder." I
don't understand,' stammers a shocked Brown, 'Yesterday I was here and
there was a golf course and a club-house and we ate lobster and caviar
and drank tequila. We lazed around and had a great time. Now there's
just a wasteland full of garbage and everybody looks miserable!'

The Devil looks at him, smiles slyly and purrs, 'Yesterday we were
campaigning; today you voted for us!

#33 et al. .... Africa is a huge continent of 49 sovereign states. Can we please stop talking about "Africa" as though it was Norway or France. Telling "Africans" to "help themselves" out of their difficulties is demeaning and, frankly, racist. ... to stretch an analogy .... how much of the money made from North Sea Oil went to solve the problems acute poverty in Albania ? After all, we're all Europeans aren't we ? .... do you all see the point ?

The G8 is supposed to be a meeting of great minds, world leaders of real clout who take sensible, measured decisions for the welfare of rich and poor alike. But has this world board of directors' meeting realistically achieved much so far? No by a long shot. The 'independent administrators' (representing the future of mankind and this planet) are present but on the sidelines. Moreover crucial economic and ecological powers of today-namely India and China- are not part of the inner circle. So their presence is missed when mutual involvement is necessary. World Leadership is shared and so is only effective when supported by all leaders... Therefore, could we blame the actual G-8 for lack of leadership and tangible agreements?

@35

Nice (if long winded) gag.

I think this would have worked the other way on JM 11 years ago as well.

Thats probably why he saw no one he knew, not even former opponants in heaven.

Still as in 1997 the worm has turned and in the next election, barring the final book of the bible happening in the mean time, Labour will not form the next government.

Surely soon Trudi Grandantidote and Jimbrant will realise this lesson from history soon

Actually scrub jim from that list he is quite level headed compared to the other two, at least he debates the points raised

£8 per week savings? I heard a report saying that the bosses of the idiots who lost all that data on those CD's have been awarded huge pay rises. Sticks in my craw, that.

#36

There was absolutely nothing racist in what I said in my previous post. I am also getting tired of that particular card being overplayed.....

The point that was being made was that any decision to donate to charity should be personal and I do not approve of the taxation system being used to fund aid to Africa, when we have our own problems to resolve. What is racist about that?

Also, I would have thought it more demeaning to suggest that someone was incapable of helping themselves out of difficulty. And, if they are truly not capable, perhaps the AU (the body of Africa's leaders that represent the sovereign states of Africa) should stop suggesting that the West cease its interference in Africa? They cannot have their cake and eat it.

Re 30: Yes, I agree, although rather than have a G10 to include China and India, have a G9 and exclude Italy.... Berlusconi's dreadful. Yes, worse than Bush because at least Bush is going soon.

38 Pot kettle and this load of utter rubish is what you call debating the points raised is it.
Its little wonder that Trudie and myself dont make much of a effort to debate with you when you write such utter rubbish.

35 Carrotsneedquangoes 2
When you crack a good joke Carrot dont crack it to the same people again for at the very least six months, the first time you wrote it I thought it was excellent even though you used Gordon it could have been many others, but I thought it was really funny but curb your enthusiasm or find a few more jokes, it is a good story though.

38/5 Pot kettle and this load of utter rubish is what you call debating the points raised is it.
Its little wonder that Trudie and myself dont make much of a effort to debate with you when you write such utter rubbish.

@42 and 44

Wow twice for the same post. I am honoured.

Debate my contention that labour will not be asked to form the next government.
Its quite clear if you read the post instead of letting the red mist form

45 pot kettle, 44 is the post in question I am afraid that I omitted to include the post number 5 and only realised it after post comment, sorry if I confused you.
I am not in the habit of discussing hyperthetical questions.

43. grandantidote

Tis true I can be a bore ask the kids.

But not me last time. I only heard it at the weekend.

The next time I use it, it will modified for Cameron.

Thats a promise.

@#46

Hardly Hypothetical you only have to look at history to see we are at the point in the political cycle where the incumbant government is going out no matter what they do.

There's going to be an electoral wipeout. Every single day on this site (and the Times and Guardian sites) I read 'another mistake for Brown', 'another embarrassment for the Government' and other variants thereof. The media isn't forcing people to swallow this as some of the Nu-Lab minions on here would have you believe, it's genuine rage at cock-up after cock-up and their no-longer-disguised contempt for the electorate.

My local MP is James Purnell--- a careerist if ever there was one, but he got his comeuppance. He foolishly came into the local Wetherspoons and some thug (who once would've been representative of Nu-Lab's core support) grabbed him by the throat. Should've seen his face! I felt really sorry for him (the thug, not Jimmy P).

Why on earth do we have to tollerate the likes of Geldof or Bono prattling on about how much of the nations taxes that are paid by rich and poor in our country should be given away to Africa. These two are I believe multi-millionaires so instead of finding ways to distribute our cash why dont they give ALL of theirs away and try living on an old age pension. Claiming to support the poor from a position of extreem wealth has little credence for me.

The G8 Summit is a pseudonym for the "Giant Fudge Company".They spend an inordinate amount of time deciding which type of "Fudge' to make each year and then they go home to their respective Countries and try to sell the crap to their Electorate. "NOUGH SAID"

#50 igiveup2
I really agree with this posting. So easy to support the poor from a position of extreme wealth.
Real help doesn't involve giving out funds, which in most cases go into the pockets of dictators. Self reliance is what people need: the old adage of giving a fishing rod so the family can seek food still holds good.
I sound like a spiteful person, but truly I am really sick of these "cottage industries" in fund raising. They remind me of the "misery" novels which fill chain bookstores. The only people they really benefit are the calculating authors.

50. igiveup2

Whats worse is they are both Non Doms

Sir Bob has his assets registered in the British Virgin Islands.

49 power to the ppl,
what a wonderful example of a human being you are, you say,
"My local MP is James Purnell--- a careerist if ever there was one, but he got his comeuppance. He foolishly came into the local Wetherspoons and some thug (who once would've been representative of Nu-Lab's core support) grabbed him by the throat. Should've seen his face! I felt really sorry for him (the thug, not Jimmy P)."
How wrong can you be, no NuLabour party member would ever condone this behaviour dont tranfer your thugish thoughts onto Labour new or otherwise.
You the Tory is the one that finds this appalling incident amusingand justifiable but I doubt that many Tories would consider this act as being justified and certainly not something to gloat over.

I agree with igiveup and mighty angela.

If Sir Bob and Bono were so in favour of giving money to Africa, they could lead by example. They would hardly miss a million or so of their wealth now, would they?!

And as for Sting going on about the rainforests and carbon footprints - he's got 6 kids! How much of a carbon footprint do they all make? 'Nuff said.

re: 54

1) I was clearly making a flippant remark, but I accept it was appropriate and I apologise

2) You seem to be under the impression that Nu-Lab is all rainbows and lollipops. Wake up!

3) I'm not a Tory, but I can see what's in front of my face: a country in social decline, bloated with quangoes and on the brink of ruin from 11 years of Labour

Grandantidote.

I'm sure there are many of us out here who would love to be able to shake an MP warmly by the throat.

It may not be a very nice thing to do, but it did make me smile.

re: 56

I meant 'inappropriate'. You may be right in saying it was not amusing (for JP at least) but as to whether it was justifiable... Come on, that's certainly debatable. But it goes to show just how much Labour are despised. My area, Stalybridge and Hyde is one of the few places left where less than 99 percent of the public would like to rip out a Labour MP's liver with a rusty spoon, but even that's changed now.

(I hope this comment hasn't been posted loads of times, my computer is acting up)

mmmmm. Liver and onions. Waste not want not.

58/59 power to the ppl and shellingout, a jokelike 35 is amusing even when directed at someone I support, although it could be applied to many other people.
Thuggery in any form should never be considered funny, working on the supposition that you both find this funny then I guess you must both be in fits of laughter when you read about mugabwe and his thugs.
Your second post ppl apeared to show some remorse but I am afraid that you went on and reverted to type and believe me it doesn't even begin to be debatable.

re: 60

What IS funny is that Nu-Lab apologists always take the bait. Another day, another Labour blunder, another self-righteous telling-off from grandantidote...

Oh,

Well so long as your abreast of the situation Boab, we'll shut up and contain our outrage at them stuffing themselves and displaying a complete lack of care over how their feasting might be viewed by the millions who are starving.

Your full of the same stuff they've got.

Grandantidote.

My "joke" was not only aimed at Labour MP's. There are quite a few Conservative MP's I frequently lambast too.

61 powertotheppl, no bait, no blunder, no selfrighteousness, stop digging yourself into a deeper hole, all you have to to do is admit that your comments were out of order. or say nothing.
63 shellingout, Dont mind you lambasting any one you like as long as it is verbal lambasting and not encouraging political thuggery. I would remind you of the Nazi movement in the thirties, although I realise that there is no malice in what both of you say, its still not right to say it.

Grandantidote.

I do not need to be reminded of the Nazi movement in the 30's. I did go to school. I have never encouraged political thuggery, but I do have the right to freedom of speech, as do you.

You do have an unfortunate habit of rubbing people up the wrong way.

re: 65

Amen to that.